Defending DEI this Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month

Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month was first declared almost 40 years ago by then-President Reagan.  

In our March 2024 newsletter we wrote: "March is Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month (DDAM), a time to recognize and celebrate the contributions of people with developmental disabilities to our communities.  DDAM sheds light on how people with and without developmental disabilities can live, work, and play together, enriching our society with their diverse talents and perspectives."

In just one short year, anti-DEI rhetoric has moved us to a place far from “how people with and without developmental disabilities can live, work, and play together, enriching our society with their diverse talents and perspectives."  

Did you know that the “I” in DEI is INCLUSION? Inclusion is one of the most important concepts in community living. If people with disabilities are no longer included in daily life, they became “the others” again.  

Who can forget the image of 8 year old Jennifer Keelan-Chavins (pictured left) crawling up the 83 steps of the Capitol building on March 12, 1990? It was during a protest to push the bill that became the ADA towards a vote. There was no accessibility for people who use wheelchairs at that time; people were excluded from the Capitol. Children are now taught about Jennifer in school. Do we want to go back?